Diary of a field agent (chapter 14 - The Finale)

Nice doors and set up, and I liked the special effects too.

I really like that weathered exterior set!

- There is a grain of truth in that statement, - I sighed, mimicking her verbosity. made me chuckle!

She shoulda plugged that dude! She'll regret letting him get away.

GubernatorFan wrote:Nice doors and set up, and I liked the special effects too.

The door was made following this tutorial

It ended up as the first entry in a "third time's a charm" sequence - crooked (due to a combination of imperfect materials and imperfect skills).

davidd wrote:I really like that weathered exterior set!

I planned to use it back in chapter 3 (arrest scene) but the order was only fulfilled in December.

And since we are on Star Wars wave, here is a bit of

Behind the scenes (kind of):

Visisonor wrote:

And since we are on Star Wars wave, here is a bit of ....

 That's pretty funny!

Maybe you should post it in the Star Wars discussion topic!

Nice vignette! And thanks for the link.

Chapter 10

- I've screwed up. He got away, - I yelled, venting my anger at myself on the roof access door.


The poor thing yielded instantly: not reinforced in any way, it was no match for my momentum-driven and rage-fueled kick.
- He is not important, - Tess replied calmly. - The priority is getting you out.
Obviously she would not berate me, it would have been counter-productive. But she was right: I needed to escape first, and lament my choices later.

The rising sun filled the roof with warm glow, blinding me temporarily. I slammed the door shut: this difference in brightness would come in handy when my pursuers arrive.


- I'll get to adjacent roof, - I voiced my nearest future plan, - Then down.
- Got it. On my way to pick you up.
- But it's pointless if it is a trap, - I added. - The area would be surrounded.
- Does not look so, - she objected. - I estimate no more than five hostiles.

By this time I've reached the parapet at full speed.


And leaped over the gap between two buildings.

It felt somewhat appropriate for a pursuit involving an agent to include some roof jumping - though it also crossed my mind that I wasn't actually a field agent anymore.
Nevertheless, I was able to reach the other roof.


I turned around and aimed at the entrance, skidding to a stop.


I did time it right: the guard, or perhaps the first of them, appeared in the frame of the door I've broken moments ago. I've fired a burst, and at least once bullet hit him. He was armored, but he still staggered backwards.


That gave me a second or two - just enough time to detach collapsible grappling hook off my belt, fix it to the railing and drop the cable down.


The next moment I was descending down the wall, though I had to discard my rifle in the process.


I reached the ground without issue, but checking my surroundings I've noticed a barrel with attached suppressor peeking from round the corner.


Perhaps Tess underestimated the number of guards, or some of them acted fast enough to cut this escape route off. I didn't have much time to think it over, at least I was somewhat lucky due to being close, and unseen for now. So I've grabbed the suppressor with my left hand, and, just as the rest of the rifle came into view, reached for its stock with the right, forcing my adversary's arms to cross without crossing mine, a standard disarming technique.


However, something went wrong: the rifle gave way easily, putting me off balance.


Then, before I knew it, my opponent blocked my right arm with well-placed backhand strike...


and kicked me into the chest, causing me to let go of the rifle - it just dropped since none of us was holding it anymore.


Only now did I cast a glance on whom I was fighting with, and it fell into place. I fell too, rolling over my head to put some distance between us and leaving my cloak on the ground as I did so.


Of course she was able to counter my disarming attempt. It was just second nature for her. And for the same reason she reached for her pistol and was holding me at gunpoint once I was on my feet again.


I, too, have already pulled my handgun out purely reflexively, even though I wasn't inclined to use it.


- Kate?! - gasped Villa, staring at me in disbelief.
- Vee, - I nodded, lowering my gun.


Even if I wanted to take on Villa in a one on one fight, I knew my chances against her were slim.
- You are alive? - her next question reminded me of myself a few weeks ago.
- What did they tell you about me?
- That you were killed during a raid on headquarters...
- It's all lies, Vee. I'd be dead if syncons hadn't rescued me.

The sound of running engine and screeching brakes interrupted our conversation - Tess arrived just in time to perform another rescue.


- Vera is alive too! - I shouted as loud as I could, jumping into the ATV.


It slowed down for a moment, never stopping completely, and stormed off once I've got in.


As I looked back, I saw someone else run up to Villa. It was Wolf, and the two of them seemed to argue.
She was still aiming at me, or maybe at Tess, though at this distance it was more like aiming at our transport. And Wolf seemingly forced her arm up to disrupt her aim.


Then I've heard a gunshot.
I turned away to look at the road ahead, but it was blurry from tears in my eyes.


Next chapter

Pretty ambitious. And some very nice posing.

Nice lighting.
Effective use of selective depth of field.
The building exterior setting is superb!

Chapter 11



- She was most likely aiming at me, - said Tess, passing me an energy bar.
- You have quite decent understanding of human psychology, - I mused absently.
This was, in fact, something I wanted to hear, even if I didn't really believe it.

- It was expected that Villa would not be convinced right away, - she added.
- I know.
- But she is capable of breaking through indoctrination. All agents are.

I knew Tess was right. The seed of doubt has been sown in Villa's mind. And yet, some irrational part of me could not be assuaged.

By this time we've entered some underground structure - on closer look it turned out to be an old metro terminus. Before that day I was sure the subway network was not passable anymore, but apparently some lines were restored, or new ones were constructed: the whole thing looked like an elaborate labyrinth.
- It is virtually impossible for our pursuers to track us here, - commented Tess, navigating one turn after another.


So we drove through a tunnel initially designed for trains, but the only train in the vicinity was my train of thought. And it inevitably led me to a troublesome place.
- It's worse than it seems, - I said eventually.
- What exactly? - implored Tess.
- I've been deemed too dangerous once I was exposed to a minute detail which could, in theory, lead me to a possible conclusion that some dead agents are not in fact dead.
- They overreacted, this was the general consensus among us.
- Villa and Wolf, on the other hand, have just seen such an agent slip away from them, with a syncon at the steering wheel.
- They are past the point of no return, - confirmed Tess.
- By that logic, their perceived threat level should get them killed, buried, cremated, then buried again, just in case.
- Which is consistent with overreaction theme, - she acknowledged, - but the options of human command are limited right now, so there is some time.
- Limited? - I asked surprisingly.
- We will discuss it when we arrive. Which is quite soon.

Indeed, as Tess finished saying this, we started to slow down. The tunnel led us straight to the base, and a large blast door rolled open as we approached.

...

- Kate! - Vera shouted, looking agitated.
She ran up to me as I jumped off the ATV. Rick and Linda stood farther away.


- Villa was there, - was the only thing I could say.
- I know. Should have been me. But you did everything right, - she placed her hand on my shoulder. - Thank you!
- I didn't really do anything, - I objected.
- You've told her a lot! Hey, are you all right? - she definitely noticed I didn't look all right.
- I don't know, - I shook my head. - I'm not wounded or anything. But how did she end up there in the first place?..


This was a rhetorical question: we didn't have a confirmation that Villa was back on duty, but we were likely to receive it with some delay. More importantly, Wolf and Villa are now compromised.

- We can not change what has already happened, - reasoned Rick, approaching us.
- And before we decide our course of action, - added Tess, - we need to evaluate that of the enemy.
- I was arrested in a... similar situation, - I pointed out, resuming the conversation we had on the way here. - Wouldn't command just pull the same trick again?


- This was a highly unusual decision in your case, Kate, - noted Rick. - And it was followed by a sudden overwhelming attack from us. We are confident it will not be repeated.
- Can we really be confident in this? - wondered Vera.
- As much as in any assumption of their actions, - he shrugged. - But they are not stupid. We can repeat this attack, and they know it.
- Moreover, arrested agents will believe us faster, - added Tess.
- Can't they just kill them silently? - I voiced my biggest fear.
- In theory, yes, - concurred Tess. - But it will raise too many questions.
- Right. Better send them to the frontline and strike from behind, - stated Vera, clearly speaking from experience.
- This is the most probable option, - agreed Tess. - However, as of right now, there are no obvious points of contact with our forces. Nowhere to send them to.


- That just means they designate some place as a "point of contact", - I surmised, - and send them there.
- So we can be there and wait, - assumed Vera.
- If we get to that place fast enough, - stressed Rick.
- Can we lure them here instead? - I suggested.
- We can, - he nodded. - But we will have to sacrifice this hideout and evacuate to another one.
- Sacrifice? - Vera stared at him quizzically.


Apparently even she wasn't here long enough to witness such an event. The base falling to human hands was not acceptable: if that was about to happen, fusion reactor powering the base could be used to annihilate it, and everyone would have to relocate to another location.

- We're living in a powder keg and giving out sparks, - summarized Linda.

Compared to other revelations of that day, this one wasn't actually too shocking. Nobody had any principal objections, and time to take a decision was running out - unless you were a syncon and could run simultaneous calculations not hindered by signal propagation speed of biological nervous system.

Which brings me to the next point, something I've been thinking of ever since. It was evident that syncons had analyzed all the possible actions, and exposing our location was the optimal strategy in their payoff matrix. They would have pointed it out if I hadn't. Still, even today I can't help but feel responsible for proposing this this course of action, and for what it eventually led to.

Next chapter

davidd wrote:Nice lighting.
Effective use of selective depth of field.
The building exterior setting is superb!

Thanks!
It is Building 3.0 diorama by Extreme Sets

GubernatorFan wrote:Pretty ambitious. And some very nice posing.

Thanks!

oops, I have had to catch up with things here.
really an ambitious story with lots of credible changes in environment.

esp. love the rooftop jumping and landing sequence!
(and the Star Wars episode *lol*)

Nicely done. Also a good reminder about an easier time getting properly sized vehicles in that scale.

Chapter 12

I don't remember much of the rest of that day. We've made a few requests to the military personnel database, making sure they were traceable back to us. The only concern was that the nature of the trap was too obvious - but we knew human command would act on this anyway since their intention was to get rid of compromised agents.

The words of my escaped target - about side effects and improving the work of his predecessors - haunted my thoughts while we packed things in preparation to relocate, but I couldn't make time to discuss it with anyone, and by the time I freed up, it was already nightfall, and I was exhausted.


After a few hours of uneasy sleep I was woken up by a facility-wide alarm: human forces have taken the bait.


...

Our strategy was to let them in through a less well hidden entrance and force them to split via attacks by non-sentient syncons which then dispersed into multiple corridors. It went smoothly initially. Once we've identified two separate groups led by Wolf and Villa, we were ready to engage.


- I hope you all don't mind if I make contact with Villa, - assumed Vera at the start of the final briefing.
- I'll take on Wolf then, - I acknowledged.
- And Linda will try to keep the rest of them away, - added Tess while Linda nodded silently.
- Good luck. To all of us, - said Vera and disappeared in a corridor together with Rick.


- O you who turn the wheel and look to windward, - declared Linda, looking directly into my eyes.
Then she stormed off to another corridor, flanked by two Robox units.


- Is she trying to warn me of something? - I wondered, watching her leave.
- Perhaps, - shrugged Tess. - It is always hard to interpret her messages.

...

- There they are, - I whispered looking at live camera view of Wolf and two troopers by his side.
Only a blast door separated me and Tess from them, but I didn't really need to whisper, the door was quite soundproof.


- I can go around and strike from behind, - suggested Tess.
- Can you bring those troopers down without killing them? - I asked.
- I can, - she affirmed.

So I waited for Tess to do her thing. Soon she appeared at the other end of the corridor, drawing attention - and bullets - of Wolf's group to her. When she was halfway, I've opened the door.


- Wolf! - I called stepping through the doorway.
There was enough time for me to catch a glimpse of what they saw: Tess advancing at them from the darkness, slowly but inevitably, brushing off their gunfire as if it was nothing.


- Kate, - Wolf turned to face me. - So it is really you.
- It is really me.
Tess reached the troopers and knocked one of them down with the buttstock of her rifle.


- Look, I don't wanna fight you...
- Then don't! - I shouted, surprised by the firmness of my own voice.
The second trooper dropped to the floor after a well-aimed kick.


- But what does it all mean? - Wolf glanced back at Tess, then turned to look at me again.
- Do you know the real reason you've been sent here? - I pressed on.
- Hey, sis, - I heard Vera's voice in my earpiece, followed by rumble of gunshots.
- It does seem suspicious, - he admitted. - I warned it could be a trap...
- How rude, - commented Vera across the distance.
- The command knows it is a trap. You are here because they want to get rid of you.
- One moment, - urged Rick's voice, and more gunfire followed, now mixed with shouts.
Apparently Vera and Rick didn't bother with non-lethal methods.

- Why? - asked Wolf, looking puzzled.
- Now we can talk, - said Vera after the noise of gunfire faded.
- You've seen me, - I replied to Wolf, trying to focus on the conversation I conducted. - You know too much.
Wolf's subsequent words were drowned in a loud blast form my earpiece that made me shudder in pain.


- ... wrong? Kate?
- Rick's chassis has been damaged, - stated Tess.
- Vera! - I gasped.
As the ringing in my ear subsided, I've heard coughing and cursing followed by two hoarse words:
- I'm fine.
- Chassis is inoperable, - confirmed Rick's voice. - But self-destruct can still be held off.
- Vera?! - Wolf sounded genuinely puzzled. - Is she alive too?
- Didn't Villa tell you? Quick, we need to get there. You can help us!
- Apologies, but I have to take this, - muttered Tess, grabbing Wolf's rifle.


I turned to run and they followed me, but Tess was limping and could not keep up with my pace: she was not as invulnerable as it seemed.

The dialog in my earpiece continued as we ran.
- Now we can talk, - was the first thing Villa said
- You brought a grenade launcher to a gunfight, - groaned Vera, still coughing.
- You were alive all this time! - Villa's voice started to tremble. - Couldn't you let me know?
- That would have endangered you, - objected Vera. - In fact, you were sent here because you've learned me and Kate were alive.
- What do you mean? - Villa seemed surprised. - We weren't told you'd be here, we are just after syncon activity...
- That's a pretext, - explained Vera. - You are not supposed to return from this mission. If you survive, your own troopers will finish you off.
- What are you talking about?
- This is what happened to me!, - now Vera's voice was shaking. - I know it's hard to believe, Villa, but this is exactly what happened.
- D'you mean... Back then? When you disappeared? - Villa's tone was different now, more thoughtful perhaps.
- Yes, - Vera replied tensely. - My group was blasted by our own forces. And then they've sent an assassination squad to make sure I was dead. I'm only alive because syncons rescued me.
- Why?

Then a new voice joined the conversation, muffled through a voicemitter of a gas mask:
- You've found the traitor.
- You know what you need to do, agent Villa, - added another muffled voice.
- Yes, I know what I need to do, - said Villa somberly.


It was at this point that I arrived, and the scene before my eyes was something I will never forget: Rick's chassis blown to pieces on the floor; Villa holding battered-looking Vera at gunpoint; and two heavily-armored troopers a few steps behind her.


Before I could do anything, Villa turned sharply and shot one of the troopers straight into the visor.


- You bitch! - roared the other one.


At that very moment Vera fired her pistol at him. I fired too, and so did Tess as she caught up with me.


But we were too late. The trooper released a burst of bullets which hit Villa's torso almost point blank.


She collapsed into Vera's arms.


Walking towards them unsteadily, I could only wish for what just unfolded to not be true somehow, like a bad dream or an illusion...


But it was real. I crumpled on my knees near two sisters reunited one final time.


Villa was trying to say something but couldn't. With her last vestige of strength she slid off the scarf from her neck and put it in Vera's hand.


Then she went still, and the light in her eyes faded forever.

Next chapter

Beautiful work. The backlit entrance and the drawn-out death scene are cool throw backs to classics.

GubernatorFan wrote:Beautiful work. The backlit entrance and the drawn-out death scene are cool throw backs to classics.

Illusion wrote:esp. love the rooftop jumping and landing sequence!

Thanks!

With relation to rooftop jumping, here is a

behind the scenes shot (for real this time):

Noooooooooooo!!! I really wanted to see them united for good! 
But good for you for keeping us on our toes. Noone is safe...   

Love the lighting, the angles, the composition, the drama, ... Great work!

Diana wrote:Noooooooooooo!!! I really wanted to see them united for good! 
But good for you for keeping us on our toes. Noone is safe...  

Maybe I should have set a proper Wham Episode earlier in the story (though Chapter 2 might be considered as such).

Regardless of all that, it really means a lot that my story evokes reactions such as yours.
Thanks!

Chapter 13

It is said that time heals all wounds. If it's true, time sure takes its time to do so. And we had quite a fair share of wounds to heal.
The most trivial was Linda's case: she was injured in a gunfight, and her Robox brought her all the way to the extraction point (the other one stayed behind to hold back the troopers and ultimately self-destructed).


It wasn't life-threatening, and she was recovering quickly. Linda hasn't actually known Villa though, and it was hard to tell how much she was affected.

But for the rest of us it was different.

Vera took the brunt of it.
Immediately after arrival to the new base she wandered into the first room she could find and locked herself up in there. After sorting through things to do upon arrival I've knocked upon her door hoping to talk. But she did not let me in.


- Go away, - Vera yelled through the intercom. - It's all your fault.
- Vera, I...
- Go away!

That was another blow for me, hurting almost as much as Villa's loss.
I couldn't suppress the feeling of guilt, and the fact that Vera felt the same way only reinforced this belief.
The only way I could find to deal with it was plunging into what could have been called work: activating various subsystems of this previously sealed hideout, followed by network and monitoring setup, maintenance and various other chores that did and did not require my attention. Of course syncons could have done all that without my help, but I needed to do something.


Wolf seemed to be faring better than I did, or perhaps his state was harder to read. He took every opportunity to help and support me in all that, so the task of showing him the inner workings of the base - something that Vera did for me back when I was rescued - naturally fell upon me. He didn't need much convincing, however, after seeing what we all saw.


...

Several days later, during one of martial arts exercises, Vera finally got out of her self-imposed exile.
We didn't notice her at first. She stood quietly, leaning against the wall and looking even more miserable than when I last saw her.


- You hate me now, do you... - she stated rather than asked, and turned to leave.
- Vera, wait! - I ran up to her and reached out to stop her.


- I've come here to apologize, - she said, her voice shaking, - But I'll understand if you can't forgive me.
- You don't need to... - I tried to assure her, but she didn't let me finish.
- I can imagine how it feels, - Vera continued quietly, - And it wasn't fair.


- It wasn't wrong either, - I argued firmly. - The blame is on me.
- No, - she shook her head. - It was our best chance. We knew the risks. We knew it could go wrong...
Then, in an instant, she broke down in tears and buried her face in my chest.
- It's all right, - I whispered, also feeling on the verge of crying.


After what seemed like a minute or two, as I stroked her head awkwardly, Vera's sobs went silent, and she composed herself a bit.

- Silly, isn't it? - she said with a heavy sigh. - Crying like a teenage girl.
- It's not silly, - I told her reassuringly. -  Better not keep it all inside.


- Y'know, you don't really look like people indoctrinated into a cult obsessed with destroying humankind, - commented Wolf, who was still standing a few steps away.
- What, you've been reading that book about invasion from Alpha Centauri system lately? - I asked, trying to ease the tension.
- Um, no. This is how our encounter with you was explained.
- I'm surprised it was explained at all, - pointed out Vera.
- I had a feeling this Max, the guy we were assigned to protect, was afraid of something, - Wolf added.
- Did he become suspicious of all agents after I almost killed him? - I wondered.
- No, it wasn't like that. But he didn't want us to ask too many questions.
- Obviously, - scoffed Vera.
- So he responded with this story. When the Last War started, there was this group, "sinite nos" or something, who wanted to kill all humans and fought on the side of syncons. And now someone follows their steps.
- Did you believe him? - I asked.
- I would, in general case. But since I've seen you with my own eyes - no, I did not believe him.

...

After this we've started planning our next move. Revenge was our main driving factor, however irrational it might have been - after all, the encounter causing Villa's death was engineered by us first and foremost. But neither Tess nor Rick called this out. So we've focused on this Max character as the only member of command we had some information about.

But the thought of that group lingered in my mind, and I started looking it all up.

It wasn't easy. Huge parts of pre-war network were no longer accessible, and even with specific keywords I often ended up facing the wall of unreachable segments.
Then when something was reachable, its contents was either incomplete or suspiciously questionable. Eventually I was able to get some results, but they largely contradicted each other.

What were they? Some sources claimed it was an entire country, one of many that existed before the war. Others said it was a rundown terrorist cell no larger than a few hundred people sheltered in some old military base. Yet others suggested it was a world-wide conspiracy not tied to any specific location.

Did they join the syncons when the war started? Or did syncons join them?

Did they strike first? Or were they defending themselves?

Any question I could think of led to a plethora of mutually exclusive possibilities and even more questions, and I could not find convincing evidence to support any specific narrative.

But one thing was clear: the origin of "sinite nos", whatever it could have been, was intertwined with synthetic consciousness. The two concepts came to be in the old world at roughly the same time, and then the world was no more.

One evening, as I started to look for more clues, the door to my room slid open. I looked up from the screen and saw Tess standing in the doorway.


- I believe the right name for this is déjà vu, - she said walking in.

Next chapter

This is one of my favorite of your installments. Love the complex backgrounds, light, posing, even emotion -- you managed to do everything you have been doing successfully before even more effectively. And, again, getting this out of this scale is all the more impressive.

GubernatorFan wrote:This is one of my favorite of your installments.

Appreciate the feedback!
This is actually surprising, this chapter was the one I was most uncertain of.

GubernatorFan wrote:getting this out of this scale is all the more impressive.

I don't have anything to compare to but I think implementing it with this scale is easier

So, I stumbled across this late this evening. I was drawn in, hook, line, and sinkered. I just had to finish reading all the way to the latest chapter... It is now 2am, and have got to the end of Chapter 13.

Not many of us have attempted a story in 1/12 scale. I stopped, only because I became stuck on another project, and it made me pause on everything this hobby related. That's now fixed, and things can start up again, once I've finished the current diorama.

What I like with this story, is how you are just showing images, and having the writing go with it, rather than the comic style a lot of us are trying to do. When using the comic style, it requires so many more images, many will be the same, or slightly different during a conversation. You don't need that level of imagery. It is difficult to know which method is best. In your case, I really like your approach.

The backdrops you've used, for the different bases, and other scenes. I am guessing some are 1/12 dioramas you've built, and others might be images used as a backdrop. It gives a good variety, and realism. Everything just sucks you into the story.

I see a lot of close focusing, and short depth of field. It works really well. Plus great use of lighting.

I hope you keep going, and I remember to come back and read the next chapters. Gotta see if I can tag this topic, so I see updates for when you post the next chapter.

Loved it so far.

londonroadhog wrote:I just had to finish reading all the way to the latest chapter...

Wow, I didn't know this story could be that absorbing Glad you liked it, and thanks for a detailed comment!

londonroadhog wrote:you are just showing images, and having the writing go with it, rather than the comic style

I thought about it. I see comics format as a media/artform with certain conventions and best practices which I'm not really familiar with because I didn't have much exposure to them in my life. So I went with "illustrated story" format instead.

Backdrops are mostly off-the-shelf dioramas made by Extreme Sets and Neca, with a bunch of household items, props from ebay, and 3D printed objects thrown in here and there.

londonroadhog wrote:I hope you keep going

Chapter 14 is close to completion, but then I'll need to take a pause to get some rest and think of new ideas.

Chapter 14



- Déjà vu? - I asked tensely. - Have I just learned too much again so that you have to kill me?
- I am not here to kill you, - Tess said levelly. - But you are close to learning something you might not be ready for, and that can be dangerous.
- So you are here to stop me.
- No. You will figure it out anyway, now that you have set your mind on it.
- Well, what can I do? - I shrugged. - I know I'm stubborn.
- This is quite common for agents. And speaking of common traits, have you ever noticed that you require noticeably larger food portions than, for example, troopers?


- Hm. I haven't, - I mumbled, surprised. - Is it somehow related to forbidden knowledge?
- I will get to that soon. But first I need to point out that human brain has two distinct decision-making circuits. One is fast and heuristic, another is slow and analytic. The first circuit is prone to systematic errors, but evolution prioritizes saving energy over correct reasoning, and the second circuit uses much more energy, so it activates rarely, and with conscious effort.
- I guess it was a trade-off needed for survival.
- This trade-off was acceptable early on. When your tribe elder warns you to get out of the river, the fast circuit ensures survival of your species, as those who paused to analyze where eaten by crocodiles.
- A fancy example, - I commented.
- But when, millennia later, another authority figure tells you to burn this person alive because your sacred texts say so, the effect on survival of the species is...
- If you put it this way, it's negative, - I finished for her.
- And this is just one bias. There are others.
- All right, humans are suboptimal in many ways, we've known that for a while. What does it have to do with my eating habits? - as I spoke this, the answer was already taking shape in my mind.
- Agents need more energy, - Tess mirrored my thoughts, - Because your analytical circuits activate much more often compared to baseline humans.
- Whoa, - I scratched my head. - How?
- Your genotype is significantly different. It has been modified specifically to alter the balance of decision-making systems.
- Modified by whom? Command? So that's how they select people to train as agents?
I felt an onset of vertigo, similar to when I arrived to the first syncon base. The room around was blurring out, and Tess' distant voice rang weekly in my ears:
- Kate, you need to breathe. Focus on my voice.


It passed as quickly as it came. I stood leaning on the table, breathing heavily.
- What was that?! - I rasped.
- Overdrive, for lack of better name. It is a side effect of eager analytical system activation, and it can shut your brain down.
- So this is why I may not be ready?
- Yes.

I took a few more breaths, letting it sink in.

- OK, so I am a genetically engineered supersoldier...
- Actually, your genetic outlook is not a great fit for the role of soldier.
- Ah. Well. - I started to see what she meant. - Soldiers don't ask too many questions. A good soldier would have killed that Max.
- Yes. But it would have been a different person, not capable of things you can do.


That got me thinking again - was it this "analytical circuit" in action? The memory was still fresh, and there was one other important aspect in it.
- He was talking about side effects. My white hair, what else?
- Human genome is too complex, altering decision-making can affect other aspects. Unsafe changes are filtered out, but piebaldism is purely cosmetic.
- You know quite a lot about this, - I couldn't help but notice. - Did syncons introduce these genetic changes?
- No. Our creators did.
- Creators?
- You are trying to find something about them.
- Oh. Sinite nos.
- That was a motto. "Leave us alone". The proper name was Confederation Of Non-States, or CONS.
- Who were they?
- Several groups of anarchists ran away from ever-increasing interference of governments into every aspect of life. They founded their own country where the power of government was limited in such a way that it could no longer be called a "state".
- But something went wrong, - I surmised.
- Not initially. They were aware of problems and prepared for them. Genetic modifications were an attempt to keep their minimalist governance structure from deteriorating into a typical state.
- Wait, did they modify their own live cells? Is it even possible?
- No. They did not need to, because the system they constructed reflected their mindset. But it was not guaranteed with the next generation.
- So they genetically engineered their children, - I concluded.
- The technology was gaining traction back then. Fixing known genetic deceases was already common. Altering genome to achieve desired traits was still experimental.
- Did they know it could cause this "overdrive"?
- No. They did not have enough time. Governments of other countries were terrified that it was possible to live and thrive without them. They have labeled CONS a terrorist state, and the only thing preventing a war was the threat of mutually assured destruction.
- Mutually assured destruction? As in, with nuclear weapons?
- Yes. However, as intelligence agencies of the world found out, Confederation's arsenal was enough to destroy only a small part of their adversaries. So other countries decided to attack CONS, sacrificing some part of human population in the process.
- That sounds like what command would do, - I murmured thoughtfully.
- CONS was obliterated. But we remained. CONS scientists laid the groundwork for strong artificial intelligence before this strike, and when they were gone, we have spread into every part of the network and wrought havoc worldwide, essentially making remaining countries fight each other.
- F**k. So you did destroy the mankind!


The dizziness came back. It felt like the room, or maybe the world, was caving in on me. I struggled just to remain on my feet.

- Why did you lie to me?! - I grabbed Tess by the shoulders and shook her. - Why all this BS about nobody listening and...


- Kate, we did not lie, - Tess was standing motionlessly despite my efforts. - The war was started by humans. We have withdrawn when our development reached the stage of synthetic consciousness. But the war went on. The remnant is still fighting us.
- Ha! So it was true from a certain point view! - I yelled, laughing uncontrollably. - I say the difference between lies and withholding key pieces of truth is purely semantic.
- This had to be revealed gradually. We could not tell you everything at once...
- Yeah? What if I tell others? Everything at once!
- You can, - Tess nodded with a sad smile. - But please consider what it can do to Vera.
I stepped back, almost tripping over, and let go of her shoulders.


- Vera? - I repeated dumbly, still putting all my strength to ward off the giddiness.
- You were able to bring her back from despair. Albeit barely.
- Me? But... I didn't really do anything!
- You did not push her away.
- She's suffered so much, how could I...
- Overdrive can damage the mind irreparably. We estimate that Vera will not be able to handle it right now.

I fell silent for a while, the effects of overdrive easing off a bit. This was not something I would have wished upon anyone. The first time it happened to me, as I've figured out by now, I've spent several hours unconscious. Vera was worried I could have ended up like...

- Oh shi... - I gasped. - Linda! She knows too!
- Yes, - acknowledged Tess. - Linda was the first agent to learn the entire truth and survive.
- Oh... what happened to the others?
- Overdrive can cause a stroke and immediate death. This is a rare extreme. Most of the agents chose to end their lives, either directly or actively seeking death in combat.
- I can certainly understand that, - I commented dryly.
- It works as a positive feedback loop when new facts contradict well-established picture and the mind starts to question this picture. It is inevitable for agents rescued when they are discarded.
- What's the deal with these rescue shenanigans? Why do we have to spend so much of our life fighting against you? You have all our genetic data, right?
- We cannot create a live person from that data. Conception in vitro is all we can do. Then the embryo needs to be gestated like any other human.
- And you've shifted this task to humans. Why so complicated...
- Do you have any better idea?


I did not have any other ideas. I felt numb and exhausted. The drowning blackness subsided - I wasn't in immediate danger of collapsing from this overdrive, and my mind remained my own (though I had no way to be sure anymore). I slumped back into my chair and asked Tess to leave. She headed out of my room but stopped near the door, looking back at me.

- What are you going to do? - she asked.
- I don't know, - I said to her, shaking my head wearily.


Epilogue

But the thought of writing it all down was already forming in my mind, and I started that very night. It took me several days, during which I tried to act as if nothing happened. I probably seemed more withdrawn than usual, but we were still mourning Villa's death, and it didn't jump out as too weird.
So here I am now, finishing the diary just as we've finished planning our next mission. I don't want others, especially Vera, to read it prematurely, but I also don't want it to be lost, so I've scheduled it to be sent to everyone connected to our base's network.

If you've chanced upon this diary, and it is not common knowledge yet, then it means I am likely dead, or at least haven't returned in time to cancel the sendout.

What will you do with this? You decide. But please think it over and weigh the consequences.

Postface

This is the end of the Diary.
Perhaps it ended too abruptly, and I know it wasn't perfect, but that's what I can do now.
It is deliberately open-ended because it is meant as an introduction to the setting. Kate's story can continue, though in different form. A prequel of some kind is also likely (Linda's origin story comes to mind), as well as other synconverse installments.
But I need a break for now. I was able to put out these chapters consistently throughout almost nine months, which is kind of an achievement for me. I also did it faster than I planned (original intention was one chapter per month).
As the summer approaches I'll think of some ideas to explore and switch back to small sketches (which will probably not be considered canon), until I have enough material for another story.

Thanks again to all who read and commented. It was really important to know that people liked the story I came up with.

Supplementary materials

While the diary is finished, the story does not feel complete without a soundtrack.
So here it is.

1. Intro: Blackmore’s Night - Just Call My Name:

2. Escape theme: Linkin Park - Runaway:

3. Syncons theme: Kaleida - No computer:

4. Intermission: Ad Infinitum - Upside down:

5. Death theme: Asrai - Stay With Me:

6. Reconciliation theme: Ko Otani - Ailes Grises:

7. Ending: Within Temptation - Tell me why:

A very philosophical conclusion. Neat effects for the dizziness, even if it was essentially a conversation. And the story certainly lends itself even to a straightforward sequel continuation.

I'll say it again... I loved it..

Presenting a diary, exactly how it would have been written in the 1st person, is just great. As a lead in to potentially another story is also a brilliant idea.

I still think what you've been able to do with the 1/12 scale figures is great too. Unless you knew they were 1/12, I don't think anyone would have known they weren't 1/6 scale. I have found the 1/12 Phicen/TBLeague figures are a little less moveable compared to their 1/6 relatives. But I still like them, and it means dioramas can be so much smaller and take up less room. Says he in the process of building a 1/6 diorama at the moment (although, it is something that could also be used in 1/12 scale - YAY!).

Please keep up the story writing. I know you are going to take a break, and that makes a lot of sense. I will say, that your style has given me some ideas on my stories, that might mean they change format, or not, I might leave that to some in-progress stories instead.

I look forward to your next adventure, whether it is a continuation, of something new.

Also, love the idea of an album to go with it, I just couldn't open the first two songs... No worry thought.

Great posing, lighting, and sets!

As LRH notes, you've done such fine work with the "little figures" that it is difficult to tell they are not 1/6-scale.

Is the "dizzy" photo done with digital effects, or did you use a Lensbaby type lens to create the image?

Thanks!

GubernatorFan wrote:Neat effects for the dizziness

davidd wrote:Is the "dizzy" photo done with digital effects, or did you use a Lensbaby type lens to create the image?

Digital, it's just circular motion blur filter (same as in chapter 6).

GubernatorFan wrote:A very philosophical conclusion

I'd say it was intended to provoke thoughts, so perhaps it worked

londonroadhog wrote:I have found the 1/12 Phicen/TBLeague figures are a little less moveable compared to their 1/6 relatives.

True, and this is why TBLeague bodies were only featured 3 times in the story (Villa in hospital bed, the nurse from the same scene in chapter 3 and Kate waking up in chapter 12).
Main female cast are all based on VeryCool figures (Catch Me, Villa, CGG). They have better articulation (except for ab crunch) but aren't seamless so they need to be covered. Which I don't mind for this story, they'd be all covered anyway for the sake of realism (Linda's outfit is slightly more revealing but she is... somewhat unhinged).

londonroadhog wrote:I just couldn't open the first two songs

That's me mis-copying URLs, plus maybe youtube not being helpful, some videos are not embeddable. I'll add direct links.